You might think that all lobsters are bright red, but they only turn that color
after they've been cooked for dinner. Lobsters are normally a blend of brown,
green and red, although some lobsters are blue or white. Visit the Aquarium's
rare blue and white lobsters to see for yourself.

Size  Up to 3 feet long; can weigh up to 40 pounds or more

Diet  Fishes, crabs, clams, mussels, sea urchins and sea stars

Lifespan  60 years or more; though it is difficult for scientists to know

Range  North Atlantic waters, from Canada through North Carolina

Habitat  Rocky and sandy ocean floor

Predators  Large fishes, larger lobsters, seals and humans

Relatives  American lobsters are crustaceans, which means they are related to
crabs and shrimps, and distantly related to spiders.

Family life  Female lobsters produce thousands of eggs at a time and carry the eggs under their tails for 9 to 12 months. The newly hatched lobsters swim near the ocean’s surface, where they eat small creatures known as zooplankton.

Conservation status  Stable  American lobsters are not considered threatened, but there is some concern that too many are being harvested by commercial fishermen.

Lobsters and climate change   As ocean temperatures fluctuate, so do the lobsters' habits. Lobsters can respond to temperature changes by changing their habitat. Read more ...

Explore other profiles   Check out sand tiger sharks, cownose rays and moon jellies.